The present invention relates generally to devices for interacting with computer systems, and in particular, to a device which may be used to render otherwise passive surfaces audiovisually interactive via invisible surface codings.
Devices such as personal computers, personal digital assistants and even mobile phones may be used to interact with audiovisual information and with computer applications which have an audiovisual interface.
In general, these devices don""t provide access to situated interactive information or application interfaces, e.g. to an online fan club chat group associated with a concert poster encountered at a train station, or a mortgage calculator associated with a flyer received through the mail. Each device must be used to seek out the desired information or application interface through a virtual space accessible through the device, or the information or application must be brought to the device in a device-compatible physical format.
The present invention utilizes methods, systems and devices related to a system referred to as xe2x80x9cnetpagexe2x80x9d, described in our co-pending applications listed above, wherein invisible coded data is disposed on various surfaces to render the surfaces interactive in the manner of graphical user interfaces to computer systems.
In one broad form the invention provides a hand held viewing device with one or more sensors capable of sensing coded data. Images which include coded data are sensed by the viewer and decoded. The decoded information is transmitted to a computer system which associates the decoded data with one or more files stored on the system, using previously stored association data. The file or files are transmitted to the viewer and to the user via the viewer""s display screen.
Accordingly, in one broad form, the invention provides a viewer for the download at least one file and the display of visual information based on the at least one file, the viewer including:
at least one sensor for sensing coded data on or in a substrate and for generating first data;
a transceiver for transmitting said first data or second data at least partially based on the first data to a computer system and for receiving at least one file associated with an identity derived from the first data from the computer system;
at least one display device for outputting visual information based at least partially on said at least one file.
The viewer may include a decoder for receiving said first data from the sensor device and for outputting said second data to the transceiver;
The visual information may include text or images or both. Images may be still or moving images. Audio information may also be output by the device.
Where the display of the viewer overlays part or all of the substrate the visual information may include a component which substantially corresponds to the visual appearance of the part of the substrate overlain by the display, including any markings on the substrate visible to the average unaided human eye. The component may be aligned with markings on the substrate visible to the average unaided human eye or it may be aligned with the viewer. The component may be modified as the position of the viewer on the substrate changes, or under user control. The component may correspond to an area of the substrate larger or smaller than the area of the display.
After receiving one or more files, the viewer may sequentially displays all visual information based on the file(s).
The viewer may display first visual information corresponding to uncoded visible text or markings on the substrate and second visual information corresponding to coded visible text or blank areas on the substrate, so as to enable an authorized viewer or user to view secure or confidential information which is not available for view on the substrate.
In use the viewer may be moved across a substrate tiled with data encoded tags and the output is modified as the viewer is moved across the substrate so as to correspond to the interface on the substrate.
The visual output may correspond to the interface but be text in the same or a different language as the interface. The visual output may include the same, more or less information as the interface on the substrate. The interface may represent information, such as bank account information which is not displayed on the interface in full but is displayed in full via the viewer.
The device preferably has controls to enable the optical output to display information with a size the same, less than or more than the corresponding information on the interface.
The device preferably includes a touch sensitive overlay and the optical output includes interactive elements by which the user may modify the optical output by interaction with the touch screen.
The device may also display motion pictures, in which case the physical relationship between the viewer and the substrate once the coded data has been sensed and transmitted may be immaterial.
The viewer may also include memory into which a file or files, are downloaded for subsequent viewing.
When the viewer is lifted from the page the portion of the page with which the viewer was last in contact can be retained by the viewer and remain interactive. The viewer can do this by default, or alternatively only when the user xe2x80x98freezesxe2x80x99 or xe2x80x98snapsxe2x80x99 the current view before lifting the viewer from the page, as discussed in more detail below. The viewer may include controls for rotating and panning the view after the viewer has been lifted from the page, allowing the viewer to be used to navigate an entire page after only a single contact with it. The navigation controls may be in the form of a small joystick, or a pair of orthogonal thumb wheels, or may be provided via the touch-screen.
The viewer preferably senses the identity of the underlying page as well as its own position and orientation relative to the page using a netpage sensor embedded in the viewer. The viewer can contain multiple sensors (one in each comer, for example), so that it works when only partially overlapping a page or even when overlapping multiple pages. A single sensor located in the center of the viewer is sufficient for most purposes, however, and is most economical.
The viewer is capable of providing an enhanced view of the underlying page. In the dark, for example, it can provide a lit view of the page. When magnification is needed, it can provide a zoomed view of the page via its zoom controls. The viewer may also be able to provide a zoomed-out view of the page.
The viewer can provide an alternative (or additional) netpage data entry mechanism, i.e. the usual kinds of inputs, including drawing and handwriting and gestures, can be captured relative to the displayed page via the touch-screen instead of relative to the physical page via the netpage pen.
The viewer can provide access to dynamic content, such as audio and video, in the context of a physical page. Playback controls which provide access to interactive content are typically only shown when the page is viewed through the viewer. They may be shown on the printed page as well, although ideally in a form which clearly indicates that they are inactive. Status information such as playing time may also be shown on-screen. The underlying page layout should provide space for the display of interactive controls and status information, so that the printed page and on-screen display remain compatible. Interactive control is not limited to playback of streaming media such as audio and video. It can include arbitrary interaction with a computer application. It may, for example, include manipulation of an object in 3D.